Automatic danger-signal and intermittently-illuminating advertiser for electric cars.



. A. MAY.

AUTOMATIC DANGER SIGNAL AND INTERMITTBNTLY ILLUMINATING ADVERTISER FOB.

ELECTRIC CARS.

APPLIOATIOH FILED Jun 16, 1909.

Patented 0013.4, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. MAY.

AUTOMATIG DANGER SIGNAL ADD INTEBMITTENTLY ILLUMIHATING ADVERTISER FOBELECTRIC CABS. APELIo'AmoK FILED JUNE 16, 1909.

Patented Octal, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2. (Egg. (9,

A Five/ 22 for A. MAY. AUTOMATIC DANGER SIGNAL AND INTERMITTENTLYILLUMINATING ADVERTISER FOR ELECTRIC CARS. APPLICATION FILED mm: 16,1909.

972,007. Patented 0013.4,1910.

MM: "3 s AUGUSTUS MAY, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

AUTOMATIC DANGER-SIGNAL AND INTERMITTENTLY-ILLUMINATING ADVERTISER FORELECTRIC CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 4, 1910.

Application filed June 16, 1909. Serial No. 502,594.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUs'rUs MAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State ofLouisiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in AutomaticDanger-Signals.

and Intermittently-Illuminating Advertisers for'Electric Cars, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in automaticdanger signals and intermittently illuminating advertisers for electriccars and it particularly comprehends a device in the nature of a switchwhich is operable by the cont-roller handle to regulate the alternateopening and closing of two circuits which include electrically operatedadvertising devices. With one of the circuits there may be employed adanger signal which is provided on the rear end of the car and whichserves to give notice that the car is at rest and to thereby preventrear end collisions. The danger signal circuit may include an audiblesignal which also serves to emphatically warn passengers alighting froma stopped car of the possible danger of another car passing in anopposite direction on an adjacent track. By virtue of this system ofalternately controlling two circuits, intermittent and also alternateoperations of the advertising devices are produced which are effectiveby virtue of the frequent stoppages of the car or the throwing off andvon of the motor in crowded city streets. The system is of advantage inthat the trolley or third rail which supplies the motive current alsosupplies the current for illuminating the advertising devices and thedanger signals when the latter are employed.

The invention proposes as a further novel feature the employment ofnovel means providing for an intermittently operable advertising device,the operation of which directly depends on the operation of thecontroller. J"

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated a preferred andadvantageous embodiment which is to be considered, as exemplary and notas obligatory.

In the said drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan View of a controller boxshowing the application of the switch thereon. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken longitudinally ofthe switch casing, the switch closing one circuit which includesadvertising devices, preferably located in the corners of the car. Fig.1 is a similar view showing the switch closing the other advertisingcircuit in which the danger signal devices may be included, if desired,and showing also the manner in which the switch is operated by thecontroller handle. Fig. 5 is a cross section showing the pivotalmounting of the switch. Fig. 6 is a per spective view of the signal box.Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the signal box showing an audible and avisual signal therein. Fig. 8 is a view illustrating an arrangement inwhich the switch is positioned within the controller box. Fig. 9 is anelevation of a preferred form of sign structure. Fig. 10 is. ahorizontal sectional yiew thereof. Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional viewthereof. Fig. 12 is a detail horizontal sectional view of one of thepanels of the advertising sign.

Fig. 13 is a detail rear elevation of one of the panels of theadvertising sign. Fig. 14 1s a diagrammatic. view showing thearrangement of alternately closed advertising circuits.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views.

Referring to Fig. 1, the numeral 1 designates the controller box, thenumeral 2 the controller handle, the numeral 3 the usual stop for thehandle, and the numeral 4 a lug which projectsdownwardly from the handlefor engagement with the stop and,

also for engagement with the switch which controls the alternatelyclosed advertising circuits.

Referring to Fig. 14 in which the arrangement of these circuits isdisclosed, the numeral 5 indicates a trolley wire (or it may be a thirdrail) and the numeral 6 indicates the trolley pole receiving currentfrom the wire 5 and electrically connected to a feed wire 7' having atits ends suitable switch arms 8 and 9. The switch arms 8 and9 areoperable to put the Wire 7 in electrical connection with either of twowires 10 and 11. As shown in the drawin the arm 8 closes the circuit,through the wire 10 but the arm 9 is out of contact with the wire 11.

In Figs. 3,4 and 5, the switch which alternately closes the twoadvertising circuits and forms an essential element of the presentinvention, is shown in detail. Said-switch is verse pin, as

designated generally by the numeral 12 and its inclosing casing by thenumeral 13. A switch 12 is provided at each end of the car and.preferably includes a switch block consisting of a body section 14 and acontact piece 14 carried by the body section and insulated therefrom bya strip of material suitable for the purpose, as 15. The switch blockthus constructed is pivoted on a trans- 16, which passes through thecontact piece 14 and to which the wire '10 or 11, as the case may be, iselectrically connected. The casing through which one end of the switchblock projects, the said projecting end carrying a lug, as 17. Thecontact piece 14 is provided with a finger 18 which projects from itsinner face and with a finger 19 which projects from its under face. Thefinger 18 is arranged to engage a contact 20 which is secured upon theend wall of the casing 13 and the finger 19 is arranged to engage acontact 21 which is secured upon the base of the casing 13. The switchblock will normally engage the contact 21 by gravity but in order topositively assure of this engagement, a spring, as 12 may be employed.

In order that the circuits shown in Fig. 14 may be readily traced, theswitch at the right end of the car is designated by the letter A andthat at the left end/of the car is designated by the letter B. To thecontact 21 of the switch A, a wire, as 22, is connected and to thecontact 21 of the switch B, a wire, as 23, is connected. Either of thewires '22 or 23, as the case may be, is electrically connected to awire, as 24. The latter connects a series of advertising signs, as 25,whichma be. advantageously placed in the corners o the car and are soshown in the diagram. The wire 24 is provided with switcharms 26 and 27to establish the connection thereof with either of the respective wires22 or 23, or with either of the respective ground wires 23 or 29. To thecontact 20 of the switch A, a wire, as 30, is connected and to thecontact 20 of the switch B, a wire, as .31, is connected. Either of thewires 30 or 31, as the case maybe, is to be electrically connected to awire, as 32. The latter connects a series of advertising signs, as 33,which ma be advantageously placed at the ends of t e car and are soshown 1n the diagram. The wire 32 is provided with switch arms 34 and 35vto establish the connection thereof with either of the respective'w'ires 30' or 31, or with respective ground wires 36 or 37, or withrespective danger signal wires 38 or 39. The danger signals are disposedat the rear end of the car and may consist ofv a lam as 40, and a bell,as

41. The lamp and be 1 areinclosed in a'box,

as 42, having in its rear wall an opening, as 43, toreceive a supportinghook (not shown) by means of whlch the box maybe hung 13 has an open endfrom the rear platform. The box 42 preferably has its front and sidewalls provided with panels 44 of red glass to indicate danger and in oneof the side walls are contact sockets, as 45, into which the ends of thewires 38 or 39, as the case may be, and of a ground wire 46 or 47, asthe case may be, are fitted.

With the current regulated by the controller upon which the switch A ismounted, the operations will be as follows. Assuming that the arm 8connects the wires 7 and 10, the arm 26 connects the wires 22 and 24,the arm 9 disconnects the wires 7 and 11, the arm 27 connects the wires24 and 29,the arm 34 connects the wires 30 and .32, and the arm 35connects the wires 32 and 39.

When the current is On in the motors of the car the contact finger 19 ofthe switch 12 will engage the contact 21 and the current will flow fromthe wire '5, through wires 7 and 10, switch 12, wires 22 and 24and-signs 25 and wire 29 to ground. When the controller handle is swungto the Ofi position it will move the finger 18 into engagement with thecontact 20 and will disengage the finger 19 from the contact 21. In thiscase the current will flow from the wire 5, through wires 7 and 10,switch 12, wires 30 and 32 and signs 33, wire 39, devices 40 and 41 andwire47 to ground. Or the arm 35 may be put in connection with the groundwire 37, thereby cutting out the danger signal devices, if desired. Incase the current is regulated by the controller upon which the switch Bis mounted, the operations will be the same but the various connectingswitches will be reversed from'the positions in which they are shown, aswill be obvious.

While any form of sign structure or other electrical display device maybe employed, that which is preferred is shown in detail in Figs. 9 to13, and comprises a suitable frame,

as 50, having provision for upper and lower rows of removable panels, as51, which are slidably inserted between and held by retainin ribs 52.Contact devices are provided in pairs at each end of the frame 50,

one section of the wire 24 or 32 as the case may be, being joined to oneof the contacts 53, and the opposite section of said wire being joinedto one of the contacts 54 and the contacts 55 at the opposite ends ofthe frame being connected by a wire 56. Each panel 51 has at one sidethereof a dowel pin 57 and at its 0 posite side asocket 58 to receivethe pin 5 of the adjacent panel. The display means preferabl comprisesincandescent lamps, as 59, whlch are arranged in each panel in the formof a desired letter and which may be connected electrically in anysuitable manner, as shown in Fig. 13, a wire'60 leading from the dowelpin 57 to oneof the lamps at one end of thes'eries and a wire 61 leadingfromthe lamp at the other end of the series to the socket 58. The endpanels which are preferably blanks, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10, areprovided with suitable contact pieces 62 for engagement by either of thecontacts v53, 54 or 55, as the case may be, which contacts 62 areconnected to the socket or dowel pin 58 or 57 as the case may be, asshown more particularly in Fig. 12. In this manner the current is causedto flow through the entire series of lamps and it will be understoodthat the letters may be arranged to spell any desired words. It will, ofcourse, be understood that, with the connections herein described, thelamps are at a comparatively low voltage, this being suflicient for thepurposes of the example under discussion. The panels may be readilyremoved and new ones substituted in order that the readings may bevaried whenever desired. I

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the springs 12hold the switch 12 so as to normally closethe advertising circuit forlighting the signs 25 and that every time the controller handle is movedto its Off position, the switch 12 will be operated so as to break thisadvertising circuit and to close the other circuit, which includes thesigns 33 and, if desired, the danger signal devices. In the use of thedanger signal the red light at the rear of the car warns passengersalighting from a car at rest of the possible danger of a car movmg in anopposite direction on an adjacent track.

Owing to the fact that in crowded city streets the controller handle isfrequently thrown off or on, not only at street crossings but during theordinary travel of the car, the lighting of the signs 25 or 33 isintermittent and likewise alternate and of more or less irregularduration, and an effective and attractive display of the signs isthereby produced.

In Fig. 8 the switch 12 has been shown as mounted within the box 1 inwhich case the staff to which the handle 2 is connected, is providedwith an arm 63 to produce the operation of the switch in the mannerdescribed.

The assemblage of the switch provides for its efiicient operation by thecontroller handle under all conditions and it is, therefore, immaterialwhether the controller handle be well fitted upon its stafi' or whetherit be more or less loose. The switch in no way interferes or retards theoperation of the controller handle and inasmuch as it is inclosed in ahousing, there is no danger of motormen receiving burns or shocks.

It will be understood that no specific description herein contained isintended to put a limitation on the invention and that equivalents ofthe devices shown may be employed whenever desirable.

Having fully described my invention, I claim:-

1. In a system of illumination for electric street cars, the combinationwith a controller handle and a display sign including electric lamps, ofa source of current and a circuit for the lamps, a housing arranged inline with the path of movement of the controller handle and having anopen end, a switch block including a body part which projects throughthe open end of the housing and a contact part which is disposed withinthe housing and is carried by and insulated from the body part, a pivotfor the switch block, means for holding the switch block in a normalposition, the contact part being included in the lamp circuit and astationary contact piece also included in the lamp circuit and which isfitted in the housing and engaged by the switch block in one positionthereof, the controller handle being adapted to engage the projectingend of the body part and to move the switch block against the tension ofthe means.

2. In a system of illumination for electric street cars, the combinationwith a controller handle and two alternately lighted display signsincluding electric lamps, of a source of current, a circuit for eachsign, a common feed wire for the circuits, a housing arranged in linewith the path of movement of the controller handle and having an openend, a switch block including a body part which projects through theopen end of the housing and a contact part which is disposed within thehousing and is carried by and insulated from the switch body part, thecontact part being connected to the common feed wire, a pivot for theswitch block, means for holding the switch block in a normal position,and two stationary contact pieces titted in the housing, one beingincluded in one circuit and the other being included in the othercircuit, the said means holding the switch block to normally engage oneof the contact pieces and the controller handle being adapted to engagethe projecting end of the body part and to move the switch block againstthe'tension of the means into engagement with the other contact piece.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in'presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

AUGUSTUS MAY.

Witnesses:

J NO. J. WARD, Gus. Hero.

